When setting your weekly NFL DFS lineups, it can be just as helpful to have an idea of whom you DON’T want to include as whom you do. Every Friday we’ll highlight a few players that you might want to fade. When a player appears here, it mainly refers to fading him in cash games. If you play in a lot of large field, multi-entry tournaments, you might consider just being underweight on these players relative to the field rather than not using them at all.
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Players I’m fading for Week 11 include:
Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts at Buffalo
This is simply about price and matchup. With other similarly priced or cheaper running backs in terrific matchups with higher team totals and worst defenses, I’m not clicking Taylor’s name this weekend. The Bills have allowed over 80 rushing yards just twice this season (Titans and Chiefs, mostly by Patrick Mahomes), and never since their bye. He’ll surely be low-rostered and therefore makes a great pivot from Chubb, McCaffrey, Mixon, or Conner, not to mention any of the bargain RB plays available this week (Jeff Wilson Jr., Mark Ingram, D’Onta Foreman) in the larger field tournaments.
D’Andre Swift, Detroit Lions vs. Cleveland
Swift, too, is just not high on my radar given his matchup and the overall disarray of the Lions. Jared Goff is doubtful, and this team was already the third-lowest scoring in the league. Also, Jamaal Williams should be back this week. Kudos to Swift for being a valuable fantasy asset so many times this season, but I think it’s more likely to be a dud this time around. Cleveland will aim to dominate time of possession and their defense could make it real hard on Tim Boyle. Again, he could be the focal point and opportunity alone could get him to value, but I have to think his ceiling is capped relative to the alternatives.
Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings vs. Green Bay
Green Bay’s defense has gotten sneaky-good, even on the road. They are now allowing the third-fewest points in the league and their DvP against WRs is bottom five for fantasy. I love Jefferson as much as everyone, but not this week. There’s not really a consensus must-play receiver but I’m gravitating to Ja’Marr Chase, CeeDee Lamb, Tyreek Hill, A.J. Brown, Stefon Diggs and Deebo Samuel among the higher-end options.
Jaylen Waddle, Miami Dolphins at NY Jets
When I see Jets, I think run game. Though the Jets are susceptible in both phases of the game, targeting opposing running backs against them has been a solid strategy. I hope Waddle comes through this week for the sake of my dynasty season long team, but his salary has come up a lot on FanDuel, and I’d rather play DaVonta Smith in a potential shootout game for the same price on Yahoo or DraftKings. There have been flashes of goodness from this Dolphins team, but this is expected to be one of the lowest scoring games of the weekend, with both AFC East rivals in the bottom six in points per game.
San Francisco 49ers D/ST
The 49ers are coming off their best defensive effort of the season against the Rams, and only their second double-digit fantasy point game. Their salary is up as they are facing the Jaguars this weekend, but I’m not really tempted. Though turnovers are a factor in my D/ST decision (and Jacksonville is above average in giveaways), the 49ers haven’t been very aggressive in that department. They only have four interceptions and three fumble recoveries all season. They’ve been averaging about two sacks per game, which is nothing to boast about, and Jacksonville, for all their offensive and defensive weaknesses, have one of the lower sack rates in the league. I just see a lot more upside from Cleveland or Tennessee, often for less salary.
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Players I like, but who are expected to have high ownership in Week 11 include: Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Stefon Diggs, CeeDee Lamb, Michael Gallup, Nick Chubb, D’Onta Foreman, Joe Mixon, Mark Ingram, Jeff Wilson, Travis Kelce, Browns D/ST, Titans D/ST. You might consider deviating away from this player pool and pivoting in large GPPs if you’re after a more unique lineup.
